Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been working hard to help open up an export route for Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. But as he wins plaudits for this key mediating role, his nation is struggling with soaring inflation and a cost of living crisis. Andrew England, standing in for Gideon, talks to Asli Aydıntaşbaş of the European Council on Foreign Relations and Laura Pitel, the FT's Turkey correspondent, about what’s motivating Erdoğan.Want to read more?Erdoğan is an infuriating but indispensable allyUkraine grain deal and Syria top agenda for Putin’s talks with Iran and TurkeyFruit becomes a luxury in Erdoğan’s Turkey as inflation threatens re-election bidUkraine warns that only lifting Black Sea blockade can avert global food crisisSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design by Breen TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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